Judges stand for retention election near the end of their term of office. In a retention election, judges do not have opponents. Instead, voters decide whether or not to retain a judge in office. If a judge receives a simple majority of "yes" votes, the judge may serve another full term. The regular term of office for a supreme court justice is eight years; the term for all other judges is six years.

Why does Iowa use judicial retention?

In 1962, Iowa voters approved a constitutional reform that replaced the process of selecting judges by popular vote with a merit selection and retention election process. This process promotes selection of the best qualified applicants and ensures an impartial judiciary while retaining judicial accountability.